George Gobel (May 20, 1919 - February 24, 1991) was an American comedian, born in Chicago, Illinois, and known as Lonesome George. He appeared on the National Barn Dance on WLS radio, and also in several movies. He hosted his own weekly television show in 1954, and in later years appeared regularly on Hollywood Squares. Gobel's quiet, homespun style was a departure from the rough-and-tumble nature of early television humor that often featured outlandish costumes and exploding seltzer bottles. For decades he was a frequent guest star on many TV shows as well as on The Tonight Show during the years Johnny Carson was its host.
His comedy routines were mainly humorous stories about things that had supposedly happened to him (and his wife "Alice"), and they often involved word play, such as spoonerisms ("in one swell foop"). He had a special version of the Gibson L-5 archtop guitar built featuring diminished dimensions of neck scale and body depth, befitting his own small stature; a series of several dozen of this "L-5CT" or "George Gobel" model was produced in the late 1950's and early 1960's. He also played harmonica.
George Gobel is interred in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California.
The giant tortoise Lonesome George may have been named after him.
